5.6.7.EIGHT

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Jenelle Figgins — an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and teacher, who is using her talents to help engage with schools and outreach to communities. Figgins, who currently dances for the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, uses her platform for good through teaching both domestically and internationally and through community outreach and dance advocacy. Her...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Lawrence M. Jackson — a university professor, respected author, guest performer, and seasoned choreographer, who has created over 75 original works for the concert stage. Jackson currently serves as Associate Chair and Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Alabama, and, while not in the classroom, is an esteemed chorographer, having chore...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Lauren Giordano Whittington and Sarah Giordano Curran — the two granddaughters of the late American jazz dancer, teacher, choreographer, and icon, Gus Giordano. While Lauren and Sarah journeyed different paths, both are now faculty members at Gus Giordano Dance School, where they are honored to carry on the legacy of their grandfather, alongside thei...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Diane Rawlinson — a dance educator, nonprofit founder, director, yoga teacher, published author, consultant, and Interplay Leader — whose influential role in the lives of students has earned her top recognition across multiple states. Rawlinson has been investing in the lives of Wheeling High School students for going on three decades, and her inves...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with John Schmitz, Co-Founder and Artistic Producer of Dance Chicago . John — a decades-long arts icon within the Chicago arts community — has been producing dance events for 35 years, helping build bridges between artists and dance organizations both domestically and internationally. He has also been the recipient of Chicago Tribune 's "Chicagoan of the...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Wade Schaaf, Founder and Artistic Director at Chicago Repertory Ballet . Wade — a Chicago native and graduate of Northern Illinois University — is a veteran ballet dancer who has danced for a number of ballet companies such as the Ohio Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and others. Upon retiring from the stage, Wade went on to establish his very own balle...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Jonathan Dole, a dance prodigy, YAGP champion, and current member of The Joffrey Ballet 's main company. Growing up on the western coast of the United States, Jonathan was introduced to ballet at age 15 and immediately discovered a love for the art. Jonathan moved quickly through some of the nation's top dance schools before joining the Joffrey Acad...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Elna Matamoros, Ballet Mistress at Ballet Nacional de España . Born and raised in Madrid, Elna was trained in dance by her mother, following the Danish National Ballet School. Elna then moved to the United States to attend the Joffrey Ballet School, prior to spending a decade with Ballet Nacional de España. After a stint with Compañia Nacional de Da...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Donielle Richmond — dancer, choreographer, teacher, and owner of Activate Your Artistry , which hosts nationwide conventions focused on empowering the next generation of dancers. Donielle — a Chicago native — has over 15 years of teaching experience, in addition to her performance resume. Donielle's on-stage work has opened for famed musician Calving...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Chase Johnsey, award-winning dancer and Artistic Director at Ballet de Barcelona , who is using his influence in the ballet world to advocate for LGBTQ+ gender issues. Johnsey has danced for some high-profile ballet companies, including a lengthy stint with the world renown Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and the English National Ballet. While...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Antonio Carmena, an international dance teacher and adjunct ballet professor who, prior to teaching, spent 19 years as a professional dancer, mostly as a soloist. Born and raised in Spain, Carmena spent no time making a splash in the dance community, winning a scholarship at the Prix de Lausanne to attend the School of American Ballet. After finishi...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Heather Iler, ballet director for the internationally recognized Cary Ballet Conservatory (CBC), associate artistic director for the non-profit Cary Ballet Company and lead faculty member of CBC's professional training program. In all of her roles, Heather brings her 20 plus years of teaching experience to the table, giving Cary Ballet an edge unlik...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Melissa Thodos, owner of Thodos Dance Chicago — a dance company who, for over a quarter of a century, has performed in over 25 states and 6 different continents. Her school not only trains dancers but also nurtures these dancers to eventually become choreographers and educators, handing down dance expertise from generation to generation. Through Thod...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Candy Tong — dancer, model, and social media influencer who is using her platform to help young dancers overcome self-doubt. Tong, a former Miss Dance of California, has gained accolades both on- and off-stage, including awards from the most esteemed dance competitions and various off-stage recognitions, such as being named one of the top ten most i...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Derrick Agnoletti, an accomplished dancer who is a veteran with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, going on his 17 th season. Derrick is a "student of the game," having studied at the San Francisco Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and various other international exchange programs. Derrick is also an accomplished athlete, having competed at a colle...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra sits down with Casey Herd, a former principal dancer and now the founder and director of a documentary film series —  Ballet Rising — about the rise in popularity of classical ballet around the world. Originally from Utah, Casey danced for a number of well-known ballet companies before becoming a principal dancer for the Dutch National Ballet. His exceptional p...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Megan Reilly, the Chief Operating Officer at Tippi Toes — a children's dance business that has been featured on ABC's Shark Tank and whose original music has made a splash on both Billboard and iTunes music charts. For over 20 years, Megan has found joy in introducing young children to dance through her company, and since its founding, Tippi Toes has...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Jessica Marino, a serial dance entrepreneur who, over the past decade, has acted as a booking agent, producer, performer, project manager, community builder, and arts advocate. In 2017, Marino founded JAMpress Management , which provides support services for the performing arts industry, with a focus on dance. These services include event producing,...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Leda Ghannad, a primary care sports medicine physician at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush with a special interest in treating dancers, performing artists, and adolescent athletes. Midwest Orthopaedics has been recognized as one of the top 10 national leaders in orthopedic medicine and spine care and is the official provider for the Chicago Bulls, the Ch...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra sits down with Nicolas Blanc, Ballet Master and Principal Coach for the Joffrey Ballet. Prior to his current role, Nicolas received formal dance education from a number of esteemed schools, including the Paris Opera House, and danced with a number of internationally recognized ballet companies, including the Nice Opera Ballet, the Zurich Ballet, and the San Fra...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Emily Hsu, Owner and Founder at Emily Hsu Design . Prior to being an entrepreneur, Emily was a Broadway, TV and film star, having appeared in over a dozen Broadway musicals. Hsu now runs a full activewear line — the Emily Hsu Designs collection — which is a favorite amongst the Rockettes, Broadway dancers, and top NYC fitness instructors. Her signatu...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Mariaelena Ruiz, a dance prodigy, dance coach and, now, Co-Owner and Director of the Professional Training Program at Cary Ballet Conservatory. Ruiz  has danced professionally since the young age of 14 with several esteemed ballet companies. Since an injury forced her to step away from dance, Mariaelena has since fallen in love with teaching, having...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Emily Harrison, a registered dietitian nutritionist, public speaker, and experienced writer, who has worked alongside hundreds of dancers to encourage healthy eating and positive body image. Emily, who is an elite-level ballet dancer, has garnered both a bachelor's and a master's degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. She now resides in A...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra sits down with Kathryn Morgan, an accomplished ballerina who, in spite of an autoimmune illness, has become a multimedia dance superstar — running a YouTube channel nearing 160,000 subscribers, recording her own podcast, and writing a regular column for Dance Spirit Magazine . Kathryn studied at the School of American Ballet, danced for the New York City Ballet...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Alexei Moskalenko, Assistant Artistic Director at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). Alexei, a graduate of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet Academy and the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, came to the United States with a touring ballet company and eventually opened his own ballet school, before transitioning into his work with Youth America Grand Pr...